In Harriet Jacobs', Incidents In the Life of a Slave Girl, she wrote about her struggles in slavery as Linda Brent. Even though this is a true story, she uses pseudonyms for every character in her novel. Jacobs was a slave from the time she was born until she was finally freed around her thirties. She spent most of her life trying to escape her prison of persecution. Her master wanted to use her body, and her mistress hated her for it. To escape Dr. Flint and his wife, Jacobs, or Linda Brent in her book, has an affair with a white lawyer, Mr. Sands, which results in a pregnancy. Jacobs has her son, Benjamin, while she is still a teenager. Dr. Flint was enraged about her insolence. Jacobs thought this would improve her situation, but it only made it worse. He terrorized her and her family for years afterwards. He promised he would never sell her or her children.
A few years after Benjamin was born, Jacobs had a baby girl, Ellen. For the safety of her children and her own well-being, Jacobs decides to run away. However, when her plan was in danger of discovery she hid in a small crawl space in her grandmother's house. During the several years of hiding, her brother and children were eventually sold to an anonymous buyer. Mr. Sands, the white lawyer, was the financier while Jacob's grandmother was the official name on the bill of sale. However, Mr. Sands took William as his personal slave and the children were left to live with their grandmother. To protect Ellen from the Flints, Mr. Sands sent her to live with his family up north. After several years of confinement, Jacobs decided to make her way to New York. She found her chance when a friend found a kind crew on a ship to take them to Boston. But now she had to worry about Dr. Flint coming to find her. In New York, she was reunited with her children and William. Jacobs was constantly plagued with the fear of discovery. Eventually, she received word her mistress and her husband were coming to New York to find her and bring her back. In her mind, fleeing was the only answer. But a kind soul brought it upon herself to secretly buy Jacobs' freedom.
Many years later, she decided to tell the world her story in her autobiography, Incidents In the Life of a Slave Girl. This book tells the reader about the truth of slavery. It does not glorify it but shows it's true colors. Many wealthy southerners owned slaves. Yet there was hope shown in a few good people. The slaves often tried to escape to the north where they could live freely. Slaves and the abolitionists who helped them, risked their lives for freedom. The hardships in that time are made real in this adventure. The author, being a slave herself, shows bravery and cunning in her journey. She depicts herself as a loving mother who only wanted to own herself and be with her family. The reader learns of the author's life and character through her thoughts and actions. Harriet Jacobs bears her soul for all to see. The author's point of view on the subject is clear as well as her opinion on what was wrong with American at that time. This book is a good representation of American Literature in the nineteenth century.
The setting of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a crucial and compelling part of this incredible story. The setting affects how this young woman lives her life and how she is treated. There are three different settings in this story, the first one is on her master's plantation, Dr. Flint, in the South. Dr. Flint had married Linda Brent's mistress, and is now property of Dr. Flint's daughter. He also purchased her brother William. At the age of 15, she endures daily torments in the Flint household and a jealous Mrs. Flint. Mrs. Flint blames Linda for arousing her husband's lust. He uses her and tries to make plans just to be near her and to toruture her. She always feared him and what he was capable of. Mrs. Flint is furious and has Linda swear on a bible that she did not sleep with her husband and Linda obliges and says she hasn't. Linda's grandmother has suspicions that something is going on in the Flint household and offers to buy Linda's freedom, but Dr. Flint refuses countless times. His excuse is that Linda is his daughter's "property" and doesn't have the right to sell her. He has refused to so many people that have offered to buy Linda at big prices, but he uses that same excuse. He still tries to pursue Linda and makes promises of favorable treatment.
She then later becomes sexual with a white lawyer, Mr. Sands. She later finds out that she is pregnant and tells Dr. Flint that she is pregnant by him and he tries to get her to tell him who the father is but she refuses. She tries to tell her grandmother about it but ends up in tears and she feels like she has disgraced her family. So, she runs and talks to a family friend who gives her advice about telling her grandmother and the two women reconcile with each other. Linda gives birth to a healthy baby boy, but she is losing satrength and her health is bad so she rests for awhile. Then shortly after, she is pregnent wioth another child, but this one is a girl. She names her girl, Ellen, after her mistress, and her boy, Benjamin, after her favorite uncle. She was then sold to Dr. Flint's son and is to live on his plantation with her two children. But, Benjamin is so sick that she decides to leave him behind with her grandmother. But, as she spends her time on the plantation, she makes plans to escape. She tells her plans to her grandmother, but her grandmother reminds her that her first priority is her children. So, she dismisses the plan , but then later it rekindles and she decides that she is going to go through with the escape plan.
Now we come to the second setting of the story, and that is escape, which is really an imprisonment. She first goes to a "faithful friend" and hides in her closet. But, she is afraid that she will be discovered and so she runs and hides in soe bushes, but after being bitten by a poisonous reptile, she returns to her friend's house where she is treated with homemade medicine. After she regains her strength, she has many tried many plans to make her escape. She even tricked Dr. Flint into thinking that she was in New York and he went all the way up there but never found her. So her final plan is too stay in a small space in her grandmother's house. In that space she stay confined, cramped filled with rats, mice and little red insects. She can see her children through a small opening in the wall, but is never able to communicate with them. She spends several months in the small space and ends up with frostbite amd many other ills and fevers. Whiole still in hiding she finds out that Mr. Sands is elected to Congress and she begs him to set her children free, He yold her that he would do what he could. She writes letters to Dr. Flint with the postage from New York to make him think she has left the state. Finally, she and a friend are smuggled on a boat where they will be taken to the free states. Even though they are free, both women feel abandoned and do not know where to go. Eben though they feel that way, they both see the sun rise for the first time on free soil and are moved. They know that everything will be okay.
The third setting in the story is of freedom. Freedom is portrayed in the city of New York. New York was the state where run away slaves went to try and get away from their abusive masters. This also brought lots of slave hunters to the area to try and retrieve these masters so called property. They were paid money to return them if found. Linda waits many years before going to New York to insure the fact that she will not be found. Being found would have meant cruel punishment for her and her children. In New York she has the possibility of sustaining her own care. She has job opportunities and can save the money she earns. The south would not give her any money for she was a slave. New York was the opportunity of a life time for slaves wanting to escape their unfair treatment in life. Fortunately for Linda her wish became true. She made enough money to start a life and provide for her children, which is what Linda has dreamed of her whole life, freedom.
A few years after Benjamin was born, Jacobs had a baby girl, Ellen. For the safety of her children and her own well-being, Jacobs decides to run away. However, when her plan was in danger of discovery she hid in a small crawl space in her grandmother's house. During the several years of hiding, her brother and children were eventually sold to an anonymous buyer. Mr. Sands, the white lawyer, was the financier while Jacob's grandmother was the official name on the bill of sale. However, Mr. Sands took William as his personal slave and the children were left to live with their grandmother. To protect Ellen from the Flints, Mr. Sands sent her to live with his family up north. After several years of confinement, Jacobs decided to make her way to New York. She found her chance when a friend found a kind crew on a ship to take them to Boston. But now she had to worry about Dr. Flint coming to find her. In New York, she was reunited with her children and William. Jacobs was constantly plagued with the fear of discovery. Eventually, she received word her mistress and her husband were coming to New York to find her and bring her back. In her mind, fleeing was the only answer. But a kind soul brought it upon herself to secretly buy Jacobs' freedom.
Many years later, she decided to tell the world her story in her autobiography, Incidents In the Life of a Slave Girl. This book tells the reader about the truth of slavery. It does not glorify it but shows it's true colors. Many wealthy southerners owned slaves. Yet there was hope shown in a few good people. The slaves often tried to escape to the north where they could live freely. Slaves and the abolitionists who helped them, risked their lives for freedom. The hardships in that time are made real in this adventure. The author, being a slave herself, shows bravery and cunning in her journey. She depicts herself as a loving mother who only wanted to own herself and be with her family. The reader learns of the author's life and character through her thoughts and actions. Harriet Jacobs bears her soul for all to see. The author's point of view on the subject is clear as well as her opinion on what was wrong with American at that time. This book is a good representation of American Literature in the nineteenth century.
The setting of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a crucial and compelling part of this incredible story. The setting affects how this young woman lives her life and how she is treated. There are three different settings in this story, the first one is on her master's plantation, Dr. Flint, in the South. Dr. Flint had married Linda Brent's mistress, and is now property of Dr. Flint's daughter. He also purchased her brother William. At the age of 15, she endures daily torments in the Flint household and a jealous Mrs. Flint. Mrs. Flint blames Linda for arousing her husband's lust. He uses her and tries to make plans just to be near her and to toruture her. She always feared him and what he was capable of. Mrs. Flint is furious and has Linda swear on a bible that she did not sleep with her husband and Linda obliges and says she hasn't. Linda's grandmother has suspicions that something is going on in the Flint household and offers to buy Linda's freedom, but Dr. Flint refuses countless times. His excuse is that Linda is his daughter's "property" and doesn't have the right to sell her. He has refused to so many people that have offered to buy Linda at big prices, but he uses that same excuse. He still tries to pursue Linda and makes promises of favorable treatment.
She then later becomes sexual with a white lawyer, Mr. Sands. She later finds out that she is pregnant and tells Dr. Flint that she is pregnant by him and he tries to get her to tell him who the father is but she refuses. She tries to tell her grandmother about it but ends up in tears and she feels like she has disgraced her family. So, she runs and talks to a family friend who gives her advice about telling her grandmother and the two women reconcile with each other. Linda gives birth to a healthy baby boy, but she is losing satrength and her health is bad so she rests for awhile. Then shortly after, she is pregnent wioth another child, but this one is a girl. She names her girl, Ellen, after her mistress, and her boy, Benjamin, after her favorite uncle. She was then sold to Dr. Flint's son and is to live on his plantation with her two children. But, Benjamin is so sick that she decides to leave him behind with her grandmother. But, as she spends her time on the plantation, she makes plans to escape. She tells her plans to her grandmother, but her grandmother reminds her that her first priority is her children. So, she dismisses the plan , but then later it rekindles and she decides that she is going to go through with the escape plan.
Now we come to the second setting of the story, and that is escape, which is really an imprisonment. She first goes to a "faithful friend" and hides in her closet. But, she is afraid that she will be discovered and so she runs and hides in soe bushes, but after being bitten by a poisonous reptile, she returns to her friend's house where she is treated with homemade medicine. After she regains her strength, she has many tried many plans to make her escape. She even tricked Dr. Flint into thinking that she was in New York and he went all the way up there but never found her. So her final plan is too stay in a small space in her grandmother's house. In that space she stay confined, cramped filled with rats, mice and little red insects. She can see her children through a small opening in the wall, but is never able to communicate with them. She spends several months in the small space and ends up with frostbite amd many other ills and fevers. Whiole still in hiding she finds out that Mr. Sands is elected to Congress and she begs him to set her children free, He yold her that he would do what he could. She writes letters to Dr. Flint with the postage from New York to make him think she has left the state. Finally, she and a friend are smuggled on a boat where they will be taken to the free states. Even though they are free, both women feel abandoned and do not know where to go. Eben though they feel that way, they both see the sun rise for the first time on free soil and are moved. They know that everything will be okay.
The third setting in the story is of freedom. Freedom is portrayed in the city of New York. New York was the state where run away slaves went to try and get away from their abusive masters. This also brought lots of slave hunters to the area to try and retrieve these masters so called property. They were paid money to return them if found. Linda waits many years before going to New York to insure the fact that she will not be found. Being found would have meant cruel punishment for her and her children. In New York she has the possibility of sustaining her own care. She has job opportunities and can save the money she earns. The south would not give her any money for she was a slave. New York was the opportunity of a life time for slaves wanting to escape their unfair treatment in life. Fortunately for Linda her wish became true. She made enough money to start a life and provide for her children, which is what Linda has dreamed of her whole life, freedom.